Versailles

Versailles is a city in the Yvelines departement in the Ile-de-France region, renowned worldwide for its chateau, the Palace of Versailles, and the gardens of Versailles. In May 1682, King Louis XIV of France moved the royal court away from the capital of Paris to his father's old hunting lodge in Versailles, which he designated the new capital. King Louis had a massive, beautiful palace constructed, with several gardens, hedges, and swimming pools erected in the space surrounding the building. His entire court was moved to the palace in order to ensure that all of his nobles were close to him (ensuring that they could not plot against him), and a city was built around Versailles, which became the de facto capital of France for over a century. In 1789, the King was forced to return to Paris from Versailles during the French Revolution, and Versailles lost its status as the royal city. In 1790, Versailles became capital of the Seine-et-Oise departement, and it then became capital of the Yvelines departement in 1968, as well as becoming a Catholic diocese. The 1783 treaty ending the American Revolutionary War and the 1919 Treaty of Versailles (which ended World War I) were concluded in Versailles, giving it additionan significance. Located just 10.6 miles west of Paris, Versailles became a wealthy suburb of Paris with a service-based economy. In 2014, Versailles had a population of 85,461 people.